The Sunshine Hotel

Half way to An Bang

What we say:

The domineering, brand spanking new Sunshine Hotel sits midway between An Bang beach and the old town; from here it’s a good 20-minute walk to either, but that’s okay because every guest gets a free bicycle to potter around Hoi An, and it’s outstanding value.

Cookie-cutter stye, plus lanterns.

As is the norm with Hoi An hotels, every room comes equipped with air-con, fridge and TV, but the most outstanding thing about this hotel is its pool and the breakfast room opening out on to it. Of course, you’ll also find the usual tour desk and a couple of desktop computers for guests in the reception and WiFi reception throughout the hotel is good.

Three flavours of rooms are on offer: the standard for $28, superior for $35 and deluxe/family or what I call Vietnamese — a room with four beds lined up in a row — for $45. Rates include breakfast. All rooms except the family have balconies, and all are bright, fresh and very clean. Go for the top floor ones if you are after a great view. Beds are comfortable, with crisp cotton bed linen, and all rooms are en suite offering good sized bathrooms with fast-flowing hot water showers.

The family room — I got here before the maid.

The Sunshine is outstanding value for money even at rack rates and what’s even better is they are very willing to discount the room rate or offer upgrades where available at the moment as they have only been open for a few months. It’s definitely worth the five-minute cycle ride to the beach or town and is a good option for the rainy season months of October and November as this area does not flood. The Thanh Van 2 Hotel down the road from here, which is in the same price bracket but not quite so shiny and new, is always overflowing with guests fleeing the high water elsewhere in town.

Shallow end of the Sunshine’s rather large pool.

With the huge discounts they are offering at the moment, this hotel is packed with backpacking and holidaying young couples raving about how great it is, and although its distance from town might cause some concern, the layout of the hotel is great if you have a disability or aren’t too keen on climbing a huge number of stairs for a lie down. Taxis are always available to ferry you around should you need one.

For families with young kids that don’t all mind shacking up in the same room or families with teenagers the Sunshine is a good bet, but if yours are in-betweeners and you’re looking for interconnecting rooms you will have to look somewhere else.

Despite its newness and a few teething troubles as staff find their feet, the Sunshine is still a very relaxed and friendly hotel. The well laid out pool area provides a great communal space where plenty of guests were hanging out during my visit and its distance from the main road means that you are not disturbed by the tootin’ and beepin’ even when you are poolside.

Lots of lucky Tet trees.

Presently the Sunshine looks over a quiet dead end road with the land to the side being used to cultivate lucky Tet trees, but it’s only a matter of time or at least Tet before that changes completely, as this area on the outskirts of town is developing fast. It is certainly very good value and a pleasant place to stay for the time being and if they keep the standards as high as they are at the moment — minus the teething — you will have a very comfortable and happy stay.

Last reviewed by: Caroline Mills
After years of camping in her back garden in the New Forest, Caroline Mills’ parents went wild and jetted her off to Morocco where her dream of becoming a traveling belly dancer was born.